Anger

Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.                  Ephesians 4:26-27 (The Message)

I recently spoke with a client about an anger issue, and he had a very open and accepting view of his anger. He realized that anger was his “default” emotion- the one most easily accessible to him. So, if he were feeling sad, or scared, those emotions often came out like anger. Anger was an emotion he knew, and it was more acceptable than showing fear or sadness. We also discussed the idea that anger was energizing for him. Anger gave him the energy to move forward- it felt empowering somehow.   

This dynamic is common, especially with men. It is more culturally acceptable for men to be angry than scared. Also, if that anger gave him the energy to express himself, so much the better.

The more we discussed such emotional expression, the better he understood himself. He began to get more insight into how he sees the world, and also how he reacts to it. Such honest discussions are good for the soul and mind. Anger is not inherently bad, but if we do not understand where it comes from, and then find acceptable ways to express it, it can become a problem.

Prayer: Lord, you have given us a range of emotions. Help us to understand them and accept them, and use them well, Amen